Pouring device



J1me 1952 F. D. SHERWOOD 2,598,843

POURING DEVICE Filed Sept. 2'7. 1947 INVENTOR. F734 /V/( D. SHERWOOD Patented June 3, 1952 UNI-TED STATES .POURING DEVICE Frank l). Sherwood, Fresno, one:

Application september 27.18%?{Serial No: "Ha-"3% I the iiwallstin. :which: they are "provided to form apertures through said walls. The apertures thus formed :are' generally-ragged and not conduciveitoiease-of pouring. Provision for such flapsfand openings'isusually made in the top of the container, conventionally in'a sloping'portion thereofaabove the "normal fluid level,- in order :to avoid leakingofifluid from the container by unintentional-displacing of the flap. Thispositioningoiiithezflap and its opening a further:

source: of inconvenience in'draining milk from the container." The tearing of such flaps-is an inconvenient and cumbersome operation frequent-1y resulting in brokenafingernails as 'afiort is made to initiate the tearing actionand spilling *of milk =1,

contained'in the-container. Such paper bottles are inot adapted 'to' accomplish'careful drainin of cream fromthe-top of -milk-contained in the paperbottle. The tippingof the bottle generally results in dilution of the cream by the milk; Al-

though the flaps are intended to re-seal the openings to'protect milk'remaining in the bottleafter a portion thereof has been poured, such re-sealing is at best 'very 'ineifectually accomplished. Dust and dirtfind ingress to the bottle through the incompletely closedcpening and milk is lost through evaporation. Normally only a minor difliculty, such evaporation of the milk is aparticularly troublesome aspect of the use of such bottles in refrigerators, the evaporation materially-increasing the frequency of defrosting operations required of the refrigerator.

An object of the present inventionisto provide animproved pouring and stopper means for penetrable .fluid containers.

Another object is to provide a combined piercing, pouring, and re-sealing means for fluid containers.-

Anotherobiect is toprovide, incombination, a fiuidrcontainer .having .perforable walls, a pour- TENT OFFICE ing spout adapted :to beinserted into-the-container through such a wall, and stoppei means for the spout.

Another-object is to expedite the pour-ingof fluid from perforable containers and to reduce waste of fluids incident to the employing of conventional disposable fluid containers.

Another :object is to provide a means adapted to draw lighter fluids from the top. ofheavier fluids retained in such disposable containers with a minimum of intermixing of such fluids.-

Another object is toprovide a combined noun ing spout and stopper for disposahlefluidcontainers conveniently retrieved vfrom such containers prior to the discarding thereof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in the speciiications:

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a milk carton or'paper bottle illustrative of disposable fluid containers having perforable walls showing a device of the present invention inserted in operational position therein.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 an exploded view of a fluid conduit and stopper means of the present invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings:

In Fig. l amilk carton, exemplifying perforable iiuidcontainers generally, having mounted therein a pcuring and stopper means of the present invention shown generally at H, is indicated at it. Such containers are customarily fabricated from-wax or paraffin surfaced paper. The present invention is in no sense tobe liinited to containers of the type described, but may be employed to advantage with any suitable periorable container made from paper, cardboard, light metal oroth-er material subject to penetration by a sharp instrument.

The draining means of the present invention comprises ahollow cylindrical tubular member, or fluid conduit, i2 having opposite end portions [3 and M respectively. Said tubular member has a concentric opening formed longitudinally there through. The end portion M preferably has sharpened or bevelled side walls and is provided with late-rally directed apertures !5. The end i3-of the tubular member is provided with a stopper seat Hi. When a tubular member of cylindrical form havinga concentric longitudinal opening. formed therethrough is employed, no dificultyis experienced in the formation of the stopper seat it, a clean transverse cuttingof the tubular member serving to provide a suitable seat.

It is clearly evident that fluid conduits of other cross-sectional shape may be employed, as desired, and optionally provided with seats of any suitable form.

A flange I1 is radially extended from the tubular member intermediate the end portions l3 and I4 thereof. An annular member I8 of resilient material, such as soft rubber, plastic, or the like, is positioned circumjacent the tubular member l2 in abutting relation to the flange I! on the side thereof disposed toward the sharpened end portion M of said tubular member. As will soon become apparent, the annular member functions as a gasket maintained by the flange l1 in abutting relation to a pierced side of the container [0.

A stopper indicated generally at IQ, of wood, plastic, or other substantially rigid material, is slidably fitted to the longitudinal opening of the tubular member I2- The stopper is preferably of a length in excess of that of the tubular member and has a sharpened pilot portion 20 extended from the sharpened end portion M of the tubular member and a handle portion 2| on the opposite end of said stopper outwardly disposed from the tubular member. For ease in inserting the stopper and tubular member through the walls of perforable containers, the sharpened end portion I4 and the pilot portion 20 preferably are provided with continuous peripheral surfaces conveniently inserted in unitary relation through a wall of a container of the type described. The stopper is optionally provided with a truncated portion 22 adjacent to the handle portion 2| releasably seated on the stopper seat 16, as shown in section in Fig. 2. It is clearly apparent that the truncated portion of the stopper and the stopper seat are not essential to operation of the device of the present invention but useful adjuncts thereto. Without such truncated portions and seats, stoppers of the present invention may efiectively plug their respective tubular member fluid conduits by being slidably fitted thereto.

Operation The operation of the device of the present invention is clearly apparent and briefly summarized at this point. The stopper I9 is inserted through the tubular member l2 as shown in Fig. 2 and the sharpened end portion 20 of the stopper positioned at a convenient point on the container l desired to be pierced. When it is desired to draw cream from a milk container, the piercing point is selected to coincide with the separation line of said milk and cream, as explified in dotted line at 23 in Fig. 1. Pressure is applied to the handle portion 2| forcing the pilot portion of the stopper through the wall of the container l0 until the resilient member I8 is brought into abutting relation to the pierced wall of said container. As seen in Fig. 2, the piercing of the container results in inwardly turned segments of the wall of the container, as shown at 24. Said segments resist the withdrawing of the tubular member from the container. The thrusting of the stopper and tubular member into the container forcibly draws the flange against the resilient member l8 and said resilient member against the wall of the container, in which position said tubular member is retained by the segments 24, the resilient member functioning as a gasket to preclude the 4 terior of the container I0, fluid therein is poured through the tubular member at will with a minimum of waste. Attention is respectfully drawn to the significance and positioning of the apertures [5. When the device of the present invention is inserted in the container, the apertures are preferably laterally directed when pouring cream or other viscous fluid. It has been discovered that when such apertures are omitted or improperly positioned, cream or other some what viscous fluids at the sides of the tubular member within the container tend to adhere thereto and to the walls of the container and an inefficient draining of cream from the underlying milk, or other light fluid from heavier fluid, results.

When all, or any desired quantity, of the fluid is drained from the container 10, the stopper I9 is re-inserted into the tubular member [2. In order to preclude the entering of dust or other foreign material into the container and to inhibit evaporation through the tubular member of any fluid remaining in the container, the truncated portion 22 is seated on the stopper seat [6 merely by thrusting inwardly on said stopper. Such inward thrust, when the truncated portion is driven home, results in a re-tightening of the resilient member l8 against the container ID.

The device of the present invention permits the expeditious drawing of lighter fluids from heavier fluids contained in a perforable container by the careful selection of the piercing point and draining level. The device is convenient to employ and possesses the attribute of providing convenient re-sealing of the'container. The tubular member, functioning as a pouring spout, is conducive to the draining of liquid from such a container with a minimum of spilling or other waste thereof. The device is simple in structure, economical to construct and conveniently retrieved for use in combination with other such containers when it is desired to dispose of a container with which it has been employed.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made'therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein. but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A combined pouring spout and stopper for fluid containers having perforable walls-comprising a tube of substantially uniform inside diameter and. outside diameter throughout its length and having open'opposite end portions. a stopper slidably fitted to the tube and extended from an end thereof, the extended end of the stopper and the adjacent end of the tube being sharpened to form a tapered point, a handle mounted on the end of the stopper opposite its point and seated on the adjacent end of the tube, a flange extended radially from the tube member at a position spaced from the sharpened end thereof, the tube having opposite intake openings intermediate the flange and the sharpened end of the tube, and an annular gasket positioned about the tube and on the face of the flange disposed toward the sharpened end of the tube.

2. A combined pouring spout and stopper for fluid containers having perforable walls comprising a hollow, substantially smooth wall tube 5 6 having open opposite end portions, a stopper REFERENCES CITED shda'bly fitted to the tube and extended from The following references are of record in the both ends thereof, one end of said stopper and 1 its adjacent end of the tube being sharpened to me of thls patent" form a tapered point and the opposite end of the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS stopper providing a handle seated on its adja- Number Name Date cent end of the tube, and a flange radially eX- 757,794 Walker Apr. 19, 1904 tended from the tube at a position spaced from 1,519,911 Graham Dec. 16, 1924 the sharpened end thereof, said tube having 1,680,815 Sorensen Aug. 14, 1923 openings formed therethrough intermediate the 1o 2,009,392 Demmler July 30, 1935 flange and the tapered end of the tube.

FRANK D. SHERWOOD. 

